Chords in the Key of D♭ Major — Guitar Chord Chart

The key of D♭ major has 5 flats, and its seven chords are D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭, A♭, B♭m, Cdim. Start with D♭, G♭, A♭: they are the three a song in D♭ major cannot do without. Every diagram below plays when you press it.

The seven chords of D♭ major

One chord on each note of the scale, built from the scale’s own notes. Capital numerals are major chords, small ones minor, and ° is diminished.

ID♭x46664the home chord
iiE♭mxx1342leads to V
iiiFm133111a softer stand-in for I
IVG♭244322the step away from home
VA♭466544pulls back to I
viB♭mx13321the relative minor
vii°Cdimx3454xrare — a passing chord

The three to learn first

D♭ is home — the chord the song starts from and ends on. G♭ is the step away, and A♭ is the one that pulls back home. On guitar they are x46664, 244322 and 466544: D♭ with a barre at the 4th fret and three more fingers, G♭ with a barre at the 2nd fret and three more fingers and A♭ with a barre at the 4th fret and three more fingers.

The easy way: a capo at the 4th fret

D♭ major is not a friendly key on guitar — D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭, A♭ and B♭m need a barre or a fourth finger. Clamp a capo at the 4th fret and play the chords of A major instead: every shape sounds 4 semitones higher, so the A shape sounds D♭, the D shape sounds G♭ and the E shape sounds A♭.

Progressions in D♭ major

The orders these chords are most often played in. Press play to hear each one strummed, a bar to a chord.

I – IV – VD♭ – G♭ – A♭

Three chords, and thousands of folk, blues, country and rock songs.

I – V – vi – IVD♭ – A♭ – B♭m – G♭

The four-chord pop progression.

I – vi – IV – VD♭ – B♭m – G♭ – A♭

The 1950s doo-wop turnaround.

ii – V – IE♭m – A♭7 – D♭

The jazz cadence: two steps toward home, then home.

The sevenths

Four-note versions of the same chords. A♭7 is the one worth learning first: it is A♭ with one note added, and it pulls toward D♭ harder than the plain chord does.

V7A♭7464544the dominant with its seventh — the strongest pull home
Imaj7D♭maj7x46564home, softened
ii7E♭m7xx1322the jazz player’s way into V7

The scale behind the chords

D♭ major is the notes D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C. Every chord above uses only those seven notes, which is why they sound as if they belong together — and why a melody in D♭ major fits over any of them. Its relative minor is B♭ minor, which has the same notes and the same chords with a different home.

The nearest keys are a fifth either side: A♭ major and F♯ major. Each shares six of this key’s seven notes, which is why songs change key to them so often.

Frequently asked questions

What chords are in the key of D♭ major?

D♭ (I), E♭m (ii), Fm (iii), G♭ (IV), A♭ (V), B♭m (vi), Cdim (vii°). They are the seven chords you get by stacking thirds on each note of the D♭ major scale — D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C — using only notes of that scale.

What are the three main chords in D♭ major?

D♭, G♭ and A♭ — the chords on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. D♭ is home, G♭ moves away from it and A♭ pulls back. A great many songs use only these three.

What is the relative minor of D♭ major?

B♭ minor. The two keys share all seven notes and all seven chords, in a different order: what is vi in D♭ major is the home chord of B♭ minor. A song can move between them without any chord sounding out of place.

Is D♭ major an easy key on guitar?

6 of its six everyday chords — D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭, A♭ and B♭m — need a barre or four fingers on guitar. The usual way round that is a capo at the 4th fret, playing the chord shapes of A major.

Guitar Chords in the Key of D♭ Major